Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Reviews

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
ZTGD
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Feb 17, 2022

There’s plenty of little life improvements but to me, and I realize this is extremely biased, is where PokéMon peaked and to remake PokéMon Diamond and Pearl this well is quite something. I think it’s hard to find complaints with Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl outside of simply not liking the formula of PokéMon. There’s so much to discover and do that it comes very close to feeling like living in the world of PokéMon and I suppose that’s all I ever wanted. Let me compete with friends on whose PokéMon is the cutest, see who is the toughest, and then let us hang out in the dingy underground digging up fancy gems together. Maybe when we’re done I’ll save the world from some evil group and catch some legendary PokéMon too. It brings me back not just to my teens, but to the feeling I had when I borrowed my friend’s copy of PokéMon Red and for a game to continue this long and still hook me after all this time is more praise than I can necessarily articulate.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 21, 2022

Pokémon Shining Pearl was a nice way to revisit the Sinnoh region, and would be a great introduction to anyone new to the Pokémon series. For any returning players, the lack of what could be considered a “Legacy Mode,” letting players turn off the full party XP share, can take away from the “challenge” of the game. All around it was plenty enjoyable and definitely made more for fans who want to continue their adventure post-game and hunt shiny Pokémon.

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2.5 / 5.0
Jan 18, 2022

None of the balancing issues are fixed, the backtracking is still as much of a slog as ever, and the roster of Pokémon is far from impressive.

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Recommended
Jan 11, 2022

After the divisive release of Sword and Shield, it comes as a surprise to learn how Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are actually really good remasters. Sword and Shield were unapologetic in their newness, with gameplay that may have been flattering for some with a new visual style featuring more faults than boons. Even so, the games still brought something new to the stagnant franchise. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, on the other hand, embrace what made the games as good as they were for their time, which ironically also means they fall to the curse of nostalgia. While returning to the Sinnoh region is a treat, and the visual upgrades are wonderful, its familiarity ultimately begets a lack of creativity. Strangely, it appears as if these remastered titles have been made to serve an audience who have yet to experience the originals or the superior Pokemon Platinum. In this sense, the games are quite good and they do manage to wonderfully capture the delight of Pokemon games from the past; but in so doing they also introduce a longing for something ‘more’ in the games to come.

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5 / 10.0
Jan 10, 2022

After twenty-five years, Pokémon needs to innovate a lot more, even if it is a remake.

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Rudy Lavaux
Top Critic
7 / 10
Jan 6, 2022

These remakes are totally serviceable and a very good time for any Pokémon fan out there. There is however a nagging sense that more perhaps could have been done, especially for fully priced releases. The Pokémon franchise is big, the company behind these games makes millions off of these and yet there is a feeling time and time again that we're not getting the full AAA experience that such selling numbers should warrant, and this is seen very plainly in how technically dated these games look, even if artistically speaking they are still super cute. We are pleased with these remakes for sure, they're jolly good fun... but we're not impressed and this has to change in the future for the franchise!

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7 / 10.0
Jan 3, 2022

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are therefore slightly too faithful to the source remasters/remakes. They bring back the older game’s stories and modernize them for a nostalgic hardcore fanbase.

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7 / 10.0
Dec 27, 2021

Without fondness for the original games, you might find Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond less than compelling. With it, though? You’ll be fine as long as your expectations are in check. They’re faithful remakes!

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6.5 / 10.0
Dec 24, 2021
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond - Easy Allies Review - YouTube video thumbnail
8 / 10.0
Dec 23, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl is the return to a journey marked by happy memories, vivid colors and challenging battles. Combining the right mechanics with very well-designed graphics, it surprises and exceeds expectations. For the richness of content and the comfort it brings, it is more than recommended for old and new players alike.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

7.3 / 10.0
Dec 22, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of inconsistent quality, excellent in graphics and game system but lacking in content. Fans particularly fond of the series or the fourth generation will still find a good title that will surely satisfy them in its fidelity to the original titles.

Review in Italian | Read full review

INVEN
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Dec 21, 2021

It's a 'remake' of the 4th generation Pokémon games - often called the masterpiece of the series. But I think this is more of a 'remaster'. Although graphics and convenience functions were improved, many of problems from the original were intactly ported rather than fixed. Besides, it is a full-price title. I doubt that the developers really loves Pokémon. It was an important moment to build up Pokémon franchise's era to new heights again, but this work was released as a spin-off which even fans of the franchise are hard to like. It's a shame.

Review in Korean | Read full review

Dec 15, 2021

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl struggle on both these counts, meaning they can only really be recommended to die-hard fans of the originals. Luckily for any newer fans of the series, there are plenty of other, much better, Pokémon games to dig into.

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7 / 10.0
Dec 13, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl do the bare minimum to justify their current release. No doubt they add some new features and quality of life elements missing from the originals, but some of these are poorly implemented and many of the problems in the base games remain untouched. Without a doubt it's a good game and another good adventure in this ever fascinating universe, but we expected more from the remake of one of the most popular generations of Pokémon.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

4 / 5.0
Dec 13, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl don’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s still an enjoyable adventure to revisit regardless of the weird quirks. Those who’ve played the classic Pokémon games will enjoy a trip down memory lane. Go out, trainer, and be the best!

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DVS Gaming
Shinobi
Top Critic
8 / 10
Dec 12, 2021

While the game does feel like almost a copy and paste, it was a good remake to revisit for the nostalgia. Though the roster could have done with a few changes the game still allows players to revisit the same challenges as before. It would have been nice to see a few new bells and whistles to spice up the game but overall it’s a great classic to relax and relive. ILCA did a fantastic job remodeling one of the most popular entries in the franchise and brought back Sinnoh in a touching reunion.

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NookGaming
TrueStorySeamus
7 / 10.0
Dec 11, 2021

As ILCA’s first project for The Pokémon Company, this is a solid showcase of their skills! The new additions and changes to this version are definite improvements, even if it means a large amount of your journey will be an easy jaunt across the Sinnoh region. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl is a faithful remake of the original game that will surely be a nostalgic trip down memory lane for many of you! So if you’ve either never played the original version or want to relive your time with it, this is an easy recommendation. However, if you’re not a fan of the Pokémon franchise, this game won’t change your outlook, as it plays too safe and doesn’t take too many risks to the established formula.

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80 / 100
Dec 9, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have been visually enhanced and managed to be a faithful remake in terms of gameplay. Ideal to introduce new players to old style Pokémon games.

Review in Turkish | Read full review

Dec 8, 2021

With the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl releasing in Japan in 2006, the 10th anniversary of the series, the journey to the Sinnoh region is back! Well over a decade later, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have been released as remakes on the trusty Nintendo Switch. This news was much to the excitement and nostalgia of longtime fans, the Sinnoh region a fond favourite of many.

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Dec 8, 2021

The remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl gives us the perfect mix of old and new. A light-hearted story with dark tendencies spiced with all the improving elements from later games in the series. The variety is huge and at its best even addictive. However, we can't shake off that the character design itself feels a little out of place.

Review in Swedish | Read full review